Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s2.t1.23

c7.s2.t1.23

¹ Compare for the use of chronometer (ghariyal) a previous reference in chapter II, where it is mentioned that Sultan Firuz Tughluq maintained a separate department for it; also Macauliffe VI, 400. This ghariyal or water-clock was a kind of clepsydra used in India from a very ancient date (Compare J.R.A.S., 1915. Fleet ‘The ancient Indian water-clock’. Compare also ibid., 702 where Mr. Pargiter explains that both sundial and water-clock were used in ancient days to determine the hour of day and night. The longer measure of ‘half-watch’ was determined by ‘gnomon’ and the nadika by the latter). In one place Malik Muhammad Jaisi tells us that hours, halves and quarters were determined by the ‘filling in’ of the vessel (Vide P., 64.) The announcement of time was made by striking a gong of mixed metal, about the thickness of two finger breadths, at every Pahar (Vide B.N., 265). Outside India, Muslims were familiar with more advanced models of clocks and chronometers (Compare Siddiqi, I.C., Vol. I ‘Use of clocks in Muslim lands’). In India they adopted the old Hindu system. Babur made certain improvements in the marking of time. He began the announcement of gharis in addition to Pahars. (Vide B.N., 1517). Besides water-clocks, Humayun also used astrolabes to fix a particular hour. (Vide G., 53.) In general ghariyal (the Hindu clepsydra) was used in the Kingdom.